Music We Love: Adulthood in the Context of Total Noise by Trái Bơ

Denton has its fair share of psych-rock bands that pump out adrenaline-filled melodies for crowds that want to exercise the limits of their joint movements. Trái Bơ’s newest release, Adulthood in the Context of Total Noise, establishes their brand of psychedelia by placing it in a murk. It’s 12 tracks with an odd field interview and 11 tunes that can be regarded as a toned-down version of My Morning Jacket with a funk edge.

That funk edge shows in the track “CU L8R” as Adam Sewell’s bass guides the listener through the romantic agony of a plain existence with the lyrics: “I'm out of gum / and I just coughed up some toothpaste/ scraped it with my thumb/ I have never smoked /a cigarrette without running to the head/ but nothing ever comes out.”

Romance for the plain and murky is an overall theme of this album. This isn’t an album for sensationalizing love or realizing huge truths about the world. It’s moody. It’s atmospheric. But its darkness isn’t the kind that drags listeners down to the depths of a sad psyche. It’s best played while going on a walk to get away from the noise of adult life that’s hurtling towards a conflict that society seems to crave.

Photos by Ellie AlonzoHeader image design by Brittany Keeton

Check out the odd melodies of this album on their Bandcamp. An order of a hard copy comes with the benefit of Fred Vilanueva’s artwork. The portrait is from an experimental film that Vilaneuva made in Manhattan. It wasn't well-received, and he was confused as to why Trái Bơ requested to use it for the album cover.